by E. A. Copen
A sound pricked at the edges of my hearing, a low chorus of caws. I glanced over my shoulder and saw a black cloud swoop out of the sky. No, not a black cloud, but hundreds of black birds in a wedge formation, with the largest bird I’d ever seen leading the charge.
“Are those...crows?” I pointed.
Haru turned as the birds dove into the harpies, pecking at them with their beaks and scratching with their clawed feet. The harpies were quickly outnumbered and overpowered. Haru smiled. “That’d be the cavalry, as you Americans say.”
“I don’t say that,” I mumbled.
The largest crow swooped out of the sky, detaching from the battle. As soon as his crow feet touched the ground a transformation rippled through his body, changing him into one of the familiar Tengu, Haru’s sword clutched in his beak. He bowed and offered it to Haru.
Haru did the bowing thing. “Thank you, Karasu-Sama.”
“Yes, yes.” The Tengu waved a wing dismissively. “You should go. We’ll finish this out here.”
“What about the bodies?” I gestured to the giant headless snake lady stinking up the street.
I’d never been able to read Tengu expressions that well since their mouths were beaks and their faces covered in feathers, but I got the impression he was giving me an offended look. “I said we would take care of it. You should be elsewhere doing other things, yes?”
“There’s a woman in that car.” I pointed to the car I’d parked. “I need for her to go back to Algiers. I don’t think she’ll wake up, but if she does, she might be combative. Don’t hurt her. She’s under Loki’s spell.”
The crow nodded. “We’ll keep her safe. Go.”
I nodded and turned around, sprinting toward the hospital with War at my side.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
The air inside the hospital was even more humid than the first time. Didn’t stop it from burning as I pulled it into my lungs on the climb up the stairs. I needed to get into better shape. Haru, on the other hand, took the stairs two at a time and had to wait on the landing for me to catch up.
“Which floor?” he asked, hopping impatiently up and down.
“Third.” I stopped at the landing to catch my breath. “But we’re not going in to start a fight.”
Haru sighed. “And why not? Loki deserves to die.”
“If we go in on the offensive, we won’t stand a chance. Best to play this smart, Haru.”
He squinted at me as if he were trying to figure out if I were telling the truth, then shrugged. “As long as he’s dead, what do I care? But this has to end here, Laz. You promised.”
“It will.” I pulled myself up the stairs and we took the last flight shoulder to shoulder.
The door to the operating theater was marked by an old decaying sign over a set of double doors. Haru and I pushed through them and stopped at the top of the circular theater.
Cold steel pressed against the side of my throat. “Don’t make me hurt you,” came Beth’s familiar voice.
I turned my head slightly so I could see her out of the corner of my eye. “Come on, Beth. You won’t kill me. You need me.”
“Who said anything about killing you? I could just poke you full of holes and keep healing you until you decide to cooperate.”
Haru put his hand on his sword.
“Draw it and he dies,” Beth snarled.
I watched Haru do the calculations in his head. Was he fast enough? Could he take her head before she slit my throat? Or maybe he was deciding if he needed me alive as much as they did. I could never tell with him.
Slowly, he took his fingers from the hilt of his sword and raised his hands in surrender.
Beth pulled her knife away and pushed me forward. I almost stumbled down the stairs. “Go. You too, War.”
“I prefer Haru.” He adjusted his red jacket and followed me down to the center of the room, head held high.
Just as I stepped down from the stairs, another door off to the side opened and Felicia, AKA Pestilence, stepped out. She’d traded her can-I-speak-to-your-manager haircut for a do out of the Breakfast Club, but there was no mistaking that scowl. Felicia carried with her a strange looking staff with two snakes intertwined and a pair of wings at the top. When the wings caught the light of the candles burning all around the room, I realized they’d been sharpened into blades.
“Looks like you found some teeth,” I said. “Glad you could make it, Felicia, what with all the anti-vaxxer forums you’ve been running. How’s that going for you lately? Enough dead babies for you?”
She smirked. “There’s no accounting for human stupidity. If only I could take credit for that one. But it’d be a lie to say I didn’t take advantage. Pestilence finds a way.”
“How are you out your coma?” Haru asked.
Felicia smiled and gestured to Beth. “She’s an excellent healer. You’d be amazed what she can do. Of course, you can imagine how upset I was once I woke up. I wanted to kill you right away. Tell me I’ll get the chance to cut off your head before this is all over.”
“There will be no cutting off heads today.” Loki strode out of the same door and took his place on the opposite end of the table.
Felicia gave me one last vicious glance and went to stand in front of him. Beth joined her, clutching her bleeding stomach. If I’d wanted to take a shot at Loki, I wouldn’t have a clear one, not the way they’d arranged themselves. The coward was hiding behind them. Though Beth wouldn’t be much of a challenge. That stomach wound had to be affecting her. Her face was pale and sweaty.
Loki scanned the faces gathered in the room, his gaze eventually settling on me. “Where is Emma?”
“Indisposed,” I answered. “She doesn’t need to be a part of this.”
He pressed his lips together, considering. “I suppose not. You know, this is a significant moment in history. The Four Horsemen, all together under one roof. When was the last time that occurred? Must’ve been hundreds of years since all four mantles were in one place.”
“Cut the crap, Loki.” I slammed the butt of my staff against the floor with a resounding thud. “You’ve got a lot to answer for. I wondered for a long time why you were so dead set on getting me over to your side. I thought it was just a power grab, but it’s more than that, isn’t it? There’s a reason you took Emma and Beth, and it wasn’t just to try and blackmail me.”
He smiled. “Of course not. Haven’t I said from the beginning this is about making a better world? That the old one must die is a terrible consequence, yes, but it has always been my intention to rebuild humanity from the ashes of the gods. But not as you were, no. I would make you better, stronger, more powerful. To do so, I need stock that is more resilient than most. I need you, the anomaly. Unfortunately, your relationships with women have been somewhat...problematic. I thought at first I could rekindle the flame you had with this one.” He patted Beth on the shoulder. “But it seems your differences couldn’t be reconciled, and you’d fallen for another. Of course, after it’s over, that will hardly matter, won’t it? You can have them both if you so desire.”
I flexed my free hand into a fist and shook my head. “You don’t know anything about me if you think I’m going to take you up on that offer.”
“Pity,” he sighed. “As much as I would love to breed a more perfect race, I must admit that any survivors would be better than none. I can manipulate the genetics manually if I have to.” He turned to Haru. “So how about you? Are you interested? You could have the pick of my Valkyries.”
“You insult me,” Haru answered with a smirk. “No offense, ladies, but I have standards. They might be low, but they exist. I don’t fuck brainwashed girls.”
“Why don’t you come out from behind them, Loki?” I shouted. “Every time we meet, you’re hiding behind someone. Are you that afraid of me?”
He folded his hands on top of the operating table. “Fear and intelligence aren’t the same thing. I’m not stupid enough to get within arm’s length of either of you, lest
I lose my soul.”
“You’re a coward then,” Haru said, hand straying toward his sword.
“Perhaps, but I’ll be the coward who wins.” Loki lifted his hand. “There’s no need to be hostile. We’re partners in this. We want the same thing.”
I crossed my arms. “Do you tell that to all your allies? I wonder how long all those alliances will last before you stab them in the back too. You’re no leader. This was never about building a better world. It’s always been about revenge, and revenge is selfish. If it were about a better world, you’d be willing to come out from behind that table and take a calculated risk. After all, you’re asking all your allies to risk their lives for you. If you’re not willing to do the same, you’re not much of a commander. No wonder Typhon didn’t want to fall in line.”
“Enough!” Loki struck the table with a fist. “Show me the horn.”
I exchanged a look with Haru before lifting the horn so Loki could see it. Thunder rumbled overhead, echoing loudly through the chamber. “It’s not complete. I need the soul Beth took from me.”
Loki nodded to Beth who stepped forward. She gestured with her finger and the glowing soul appeared in her hand.
Beth held Moses’ soul out to me. “No funny business.”
“No need,” I growled, taking it. “Ricochet bullet blew his brains out, no thanks to you. His body is gone. This is all that’s left.”
Beth stepped back without turning her back to me. Wise move. Given the chance, I would take her out, ally or not. I owed it to Moses.
I lifted the soul, which pulsed brightly in my hand. I’d looked at angel souls before and it had cost me my vision for a time. I’d expected this one to as well, but it seemed to have dimmed, maybe because of how it was removed. It still hurt to look at. “I’m sorry,” I said to what was left of Moses. “This was never my intention, but if I don’t go forward with it...”
The soul pulsed brighter, forcing me to turn away. A strong sense of familiar calm spread into my body and I thought I felt the soul bob in a nod-like gesture. It was as close to permission as I would ever get.
I popped the last empty silver ring off my staff and held Moses’ soul against it, mumbling the familiar chant. The soul slipped into the tiny band of silver and I snapped the band into place near the top of the horn.
“Is it ready?” Loki asked.
“Almost.” I lowered the horn and frowned. “I have all the souls, but I need the blood of a powerful god to seal them.”
“That’s no problem. Pestilence, bring me the horn.” He gestured to Felicia.
She stepped forward and held her hand out.
I pulled the horn away from her. “No offense, but I’m not sure you meet the definition of powerful, Loki, as we just discussed.”
His face reddened. He put his hand down on the operating table and vaulted over it, landing directly in front of me. “That is the last time you will insult me,” Loki declared and jerked the horn away from me hard enough that he snapped the leather strap. Loki drew a knife from his belt and sliced open his palm. “Never let it be said that I was not willing to give a part of myself in pursuit of my goals,” he said and smeared his blood over the horn before holding it back out to me.
I licked my lips and stepped back. Thunder echoed through the room again, this time louder, closer.
“What’s wrong with you? Take it.” He tried to shove the horn at me one more time, but I just backed up another step. That’s when he must’ve realized something wasn’t right. His eyes widened. He dropped the horn and let it clatter to the floor and spun around.
All the candles in the room went out at once. Lightning flashed, despite there being no windows. This storm was in the room with us rather than outside. Next to me, steel whispered as Haru unsheathed his blade and struck something metallic. I readied my staff for a blow but none came.
The hair on my arms and the back of my neck stood on end just before a bolt of lightning tore through the room. Cement exploded and the force of the nearby strike threw me backward into the second row of seats. I blinked away stars and pushed myself up.
Beth had been pushed back against the wall. She tried to shove herself away, wincing, but judging by the blood pooling on the floor, she’d just opened the wound in her stomach more. The lightning strike had knocked Loki to the floor where he remained, staring wide-eyed at the figure in front of him: Odin, now armed with a proper spear.
“Father,” Loki whispered. Then his face hardened and he launched to his feet. “You! This is your fault! Pestilence, Famine, kill him!”
Felicia sneered and shook debris away from her weapon. She swung it at Odin with a shout but found Haru’s blade in her way. Felicia growled and shoved his sword aside, realizing she’d have to go through him to carry out her orders. Haru smirked, stepped back, and gestured with two fingers for her to bring it. She let out a roar and happily obliged.
While Pestilence and War fought on one side of them, Odin spun his spear once, resting the point against Loki’s neck. “This has gone on long enough, Loki. Enough of your scheming. Accept the consequences of your actions.”
Loki grabbed the spear head and pushed it away, rolling backward into a crouching position. “You tortured me. Your own son. How dare you preach to me!” He shifted his arms. Something metallic and sharp flashed into his hands and he swung at Odin.
Odin deflected the first blow with ease, but the second struck his shin, drawing sparks as it hit armor. “You murdered Baldur. What was I supposed to do? Let you go free?”
Loki drew himself up. “If it were Thor—”
Odin repositioned his spear. “I would have done the same.”
“Liar!” Loki charged at his father.
I grabbed a twisted bit of metal railing and pulled myself onto unsteady feet, watching the battles going on in front of me, but not making complete sense of them. I must’ve hit my head harder than I thought.
The doors above opened with a boom and Valkyries streamed in, armed with spears, bows, and arrows.
I barely had time to shout “Haru, watch out!” before they pelted the bottom of the operating theater with arrows and spears.
Haru turned and narrowly avoided an arrow aimed at his head. It struck Felicia instead in the shoulder joint, pinning her to the plaster wall. She screamed and tried to pry the arrow out, but Haru moved faster. He drew his second sword and drove it through her chest, ensuring that she wouldn’t be free ever again. With the second, he took her head. So much for Pestilence. I was glad he was on my side.
The Valkyries stormed the stairs, headed to assist Loki. I stuck a foot out into the aisle and tripped one of them as they ran by. Two more tripped over her and all three went tumbling down where Haru took them out, removing limbs and heads with ease.
I glanced back at the fight between Loki and Odin. They’d abandoned their weapons and were now locked arm in arm, each trying to get the upper hand to punch the other one. Haru moved toward Loki to stab him but found himself cut off by a seemingly never-ending flow of Valkyries coming to their god’s aid.
An arrow whizzed by my head, close enough that I felt my cheek burn. I’ve got to do something about those Valkyries.
I lifted my staff and struck the sloped concrete floor, letting a wave of power ripple into the ground. The floor rumbled and shook, sending Valkyries flying from their feet. Three huge fissures opened, swallowing the decrepit metal remains of the theater seating and a few Valkyries. One crack spread into the center of the room between Odin and Loki’s feet. The further it opened, the more it pulled the two apart until they were both leaning over it, staring into blackness.
Loki let go first, but it was Odin that got in the punch. His fist connected with Loki’s face just below the left eye and sent the god sprawling. He slammed through three rows of chairs, uprooting them all before he finally came to a stop. A large, stony part of the ceiling crashed down on top of him.
War was suddenly beside me, covered in blood and gripping my arm. “Wh
at did you do? The whole place is coming down!”
In hindsight, maybe setting off an earthquake spell inside a structurally unstable building was a bad idea.
“Come on,” he said, pulling me toward the exit on the ground floor, “we’ve got to get out of here before the building collapses on top of us.”
A shape darted to block our path. Loki. Guess it took more than a couple of tons of concrete to kill a god. He clenched his fists, seething. “I should’ve let you die at that tournament.” He drew his hand back and a green dagger appeared in it.
Haru tried to bring his sword up, but the building rumbled, shifting, and he lost his footing. I was on my own and unarmed except for my staff. I winced and put it out in front of me, knowing it would never be enough.
Loki suddenly let out a gasp. I opened my eyes to find him staring down at a big, steel triangle coming out of his chest. He turned his head to look back at Odin who stood frozen with one arm outstretched. Odin had pierced Loki in the chest with his spear.
Loki fell to the ground and lay there, gasping for every breath. Odin leapt over the widening fissure and came to kneel at his side.
Trembling, Loki glared at his father. “I didn’t deserve what you did to me.”
“No,” Odin said, his tone grave, “you didn’t.” He looked at me and nodded.
I turned on my Vision and reached for Loki’s glowing golden soul, pulling it free with no resistance.
Loki stared at his soul in my hand for a long moment, drawing in one more raspy breath. “They are so beautiful, aren’t they?” he said before his body turned to dust.
Odin stood, nodded, and then disappeared.
Haru pulled me to my feet. “The building’s about to collapse!”
I barely heard him, barely felt much of anything as he dragged me toward the only remaining accessible door.
“Wait! The horn.” I pulled away and ran back to the center of the room to sift through the rubble. I brought it up as the whole building quaked again, sending a spray of debris down directly in front of me.
